Senior living center set to open

Published 12:00 am, Friday, December 19, 2014

EDWARDSVILLE — When Stillwater Senior Living opens next month, it will be a long time coming for owners Bruce and Kathy Long.

The couple began work on the 46-apartment complex seven years ago, and the research into what it takes to own and operate a senior living home started even earlier. The long process was part timing and part ensuring that, when it did open, it would be something special and unique to the area.

With a tentative opening date of Jan. 1, many of the small details that the couple have put into the complex, located 1121 University Drive in Edwardsville, are complete. Kathy Long, who spent years as a homebuilder until turning her attention to the senior living complex in 2006, said part of what she wanted to do with the center was offer things she wasn’t seeing anywhere else.

“I saw a lot of things that I could incorporate from my homebuilding background that would just make a substantial difference in the quality of life to the residents,” she said. “So we’ve done that. (We) tried very hard to make it as ‘homey’ as possible.”

Some of those amenities include an area for pets, a children’s play area and individual heating and cooling systems for each room. The rooms are also insulated to keep noise pollution down, a common problem when sharing walls.

Kathy Long said the rooms are also the biggest in the area. The 36 one-bedroom apartments are 585 square feet, while the five studios and five two-bedroom apartments are 512 and 882 square feet, respectively.

The apartments’ all-inclusive fee covers housekeeping, laundry and any other services needed, including physical therapy and transportation or concierge services. Communications manager Vivian Helm said those services free up visits from friends and family members to allow for just that — visiting.

“As adult children caring for elderly parents, half the time you’re tending to a physical need,” Helm said. “You’re not visiting with them, you’re not giving them that emotional, family time. So in a setting such as this where they’re getting whatever help they need any time of day, then our visits become much more meaningful and much more about family.”

Also included will be the most up-to-date medical technology, allowing nurses to simply scan a number on a resident’s door or ID card to find out their medical information in seconds. Everything, Kathy Long said, is done with an eye on making sure the residents are happy, safe and comfortable in their new homes.

“We are the support in your home — not, you’re living here at our place of work,” Kathy Long said.

The living facility has already begun accepting reservations, and pricing will be reduced for individuals who sign up within the first 30 days of the center opening. For more information, visit www.stillwaterseniorliving.com or call 618-692-2273.